Lucid Marketing to Moms

Links for 2010-07-27 [del.icio.us]

2010-07-28T00:00:00-07:00

Marketing to Women Using Email

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2010-07-24T00:00:00-07:00

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2010-07-23T00:00:00-07:00

Where to Reach Women Online

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2010-07-22T00:00:00-07:00

Women as Trust-o-Meters: Does Your Message Pass the Test?

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2010-07-17T00:00:00-07:00

VIP treatment from a DDS

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2010-07-16T00:00:00-07:00

Yahoo! Should brands pay their advocates?

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2010-07-15T00:00:00-07:00

Women Feel Need to Be ‘Always On’

Moved

2010-02-09T12:26:00.003-05:00

We are no longer blogging here.
Please go to
http://blog.lucidmarketing.com/

Covet The Mom Who Blogs story on Happi.com

2009-12-14T11:02:00.001-05:00

Wrote a story for Happi.com recently. Happi.com covers the Household and Personal Products Industry.

Excerpt:
"Businesses covet these moms who blog because of their influence. Mothers trust other mothers because they've walked the walk.When a mom blogs about her opinion on a product or service, other moms respect that opinion and take that sentiment to heart."
Full story.

Sorry Steven Levitt, To the Contrary, The Baby Einstein Refund Is Genius

2009-10-28T14:11:00.002-04:00

From the title,“Baby Einstein’s Refund: Not so Smart?”, Steven Levitt's story could lead one to surmise that he feels Disney is making a mistake with their recent extended refund offer on Baby Einstein DVDs. It does make a good headline and is very ReTweet-able, but in truth, he doesn't feel this way. He merely points to the fact that used-DVD eBay sellers have the most to gain from the new policy. In my opinion, that is a myopic view of the situation.

What were seeing here is a ginormous brand do something unusual; compromise. [disclosure, Disney is a client, but not The Baby Einstein company]. They are saying no one wants or needs to fight. As the FTC determined, no laws were violated in the marketing of Baby Einstein products. And from the blog posts and tweets from mothers who purchased these products, none expected their child to be applying for Mensa membership as a result. But there likely is a minority of people who were led to believe these products as giving their babies a head start in cerebral development. In reality they are entertainment and provide parents a moment of rest.

All too often companies are perceived in the extremes of friend or foe. Witness the ongoing Nestle dialog. And, too often, companies just try to sweep things under the rug when things go wrong and hope they go away. It’s encouraging to see a company step up to satisfy all customers, if it is only a minority who need it.

This is a company that understands that Baby Einstein purchasers are their long term Disney customers. They are making an effort at maintaining a positive customer relationships for future gain.

Moms Who Blog: From Blog to Brand

2009-10-12T12:40:00.002-04:00

This story was originally written for MomsWhoBlog.com As a business person and/or marketer, you might find insight into one of the challenges of blogging.

EXCERPT:

Services such as Twitter, YouTube and Blogger have made it easy, oh soooo easy to get started with blogging. There’s no money required, no software to buy. Just start typing and you are out there.

That low barrier to entry can create some problems, however.

Read more...

eMarketer interview: “Marketing with Mommy Bloggers”

2009-10-05T09:06:00.002-04:00

I was lucky enough to have the privilege of an interview and subsequent story published by eMarketer recently. We spoke on the topics of mom marketing and working with moms who are bloggers. I am proud of the interview, but take issue with the title, “Marketing with Mommy Bloggers”, which I didn't have a say in choosing. The concern is that it paints a picture of mothers who blog, that they only write about motherhood – which just isn't true.

Did Nestle step on a hornet’s nest or open a door?

2009-10-02T14:40:00.003-04:00

Excerpt:
Nestle found its Twitter hashtag (#nestlefamily) hijacked by moms who were not attending and very unhappy with the company’s marketing practices of baby formula and sourcing chocolate.

Read more....

Conferences for Moms Who Blog

2009-09-01T15:18:00.002-04:00

BlogHer is the blogging conference that attracts the most female attendees and gets the most buzz, but it’s not the only one specifically produced for women. There are smaller conferences where meeting people and learning might be more easily achieved. Here are a few others that should be considered if you are looking to connect with moms who are bloggers. These events expect 150-300 attendees.

Type A Mom Conference

September 24 -26, 2009

Ashville, NC

A unique mom blogging conference designed to help moms who blog take it to the next level. The conference will feature influential and insightful mom bloggers talking about topics like the power social networking, branding, blogging, finding your voice, and turning your passion for blogging into a real paycheck.

Sponsors include: Little Debbie Snacks, HP, Boiron & iRobot

Blogalicious

October 9 – 11, 2009

Atlanta, GA

For three days, black, Latina, Caribbean, Asian-Pacific, and Native-American bloggers, among other nationalities, will enjoy a weekend of discussions and events. It’s an opportunity for women to come together to celebrate their diversity and their love for blogging.

Sponsors include: Quaker Oats, Burger King, Success Rice & Boiron

Blissdom

February, 4-6 2010

Nashville, TN

A conference for women bloggers who not only want to network in a laid back atmosphere but also walk away with improved skills. Learn from other women about building your blog, your brand, and your business.

Mom 2.0 Summit

February 18 – 21, 2010

Houston, TX

A place for marketers, mompreneurs and social media enthusiasts to get to know one another. A place to connect, converse, and build relationships. This year’s Summit discussions will focus on social media, marketing, networks, and brand building.

“Mommy Blogger” label poll results

2009-08-27T15:48:00.001-04:00

The label mommy blogger is used by some rather loosely, and in general, from what I have heard from moms who blog is that they don’t like it. The concern is that it paints a picture of them that is limited to the parenting of their children.

The results from our poll asking, How to do feel about the term “Mommy Blogger”? validates what I am hearing. 40% of moms who blog “Dislike” or even “Hate” the label.

To my surprise, nearly an equal number, 39% “Don’t Mind It” or even “Like It!” And if the responders who said, “No Opinion, Got Better Things to Worry About.” are included in this group, the percentage goes to all the way up to 60%.

Conclusion:
The majority of moms who blog don’t have an issue with the label “mommy blogger”. But many do feel that it creates a stereotype, so it’s probably best to ask before using it, or don’t at all.

People are Afraid of Twitter...until they try it

2009-07-08T13:28:00.002-04:00

Many of us, myself included, struggle with explaining to someone who has never seen Twitter, what exactly it is. I won't even try here. And as TIME magazine aptly states, “Twitter makes a terrible first impression.” The poor impression comes from the fact that it is difficult to understand.

All at the same time, it is a new type of one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many communication. Say what? It's different from email, instant messaging, and message boards, but has similarities. Yet, it is so simple. See what I mean?

This social media darling has become amazingly popular for it's ability to harness people's inherent instinct to connect with others. It offers news way to share, communicate, stay informed, discover, and more. Many people are in love with these new ways to relate, and for some it has become a sort of addiction. They dedicate a lot of time out of their day to spend on Twitter. And this leads to the other element of the bad first impression for non-users. It appears that if you Tweet, you are required to do it a LOT. There is a perceived obligation to very actively participate. “Sounds like a commitment, I got enough of those.” But the fact of the matter is that there are no rules about Twitter participation. It's quite easy to 'make it work' for you in whichever way feels appropriate.

When added up, a fear of the unknown and fear of commitment, result in many people just staying away.

I can't explain it. I think you will like it. It won't take much time. Try it, I did.

FTC Stirs-up the Blogosphere

2009-06-04T16:27:00.001-04:00

Of recent, there has been much debate over the FTC looking at the posts and reviews bloggers write about products & services. BusinessWeek kicked of this debate with their story, Blogola: The FTC Takes On Paid Posts Susan Getgood writes an excellent analysis of the FTC's intent in her post, The FTC is NOT gunning for mom bloggers

Lucid's perspective, value exchange, influence and disclosure between media properties and business have all been negotiated to varying degrees forever – but it was behind the scenes, often with the agency as the proxy. It is now a greater issue because it is being debated publicly and as Stephanie Smirnov aptly states on her recent post, ““Publisher” vs “editor” distinctions don’t apply…” with bloggers.

Our belief is that people (anybody) should benefit whenever they are approached by a businesses to help them achieve their objectives – whatever form that may take. Thus, we do feel bloggers should be compensated (money, free product, no expense trip, etc.) for their time and effort – and even for product reviews. We don’t believe that the compensation type makes a difference. Getting to keep a suite of appliances in exchange for reviews, is pretty (ahhhem) sweet –
which blogger Candace openly recognizes. And since she has fully disclosed her reward, her readers will maintain their trust. And as we all agree, full disclosure is the requirement.

MomsWhoBlog.com

2009-06-02T12:55:00.002-04:00

a news journal about mothers active in social media

Mothers actively involved in online social media (blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.) are an important community of women. They are affecting social change from a grassroots up approach. From them, we learn about motherhood’s many joys and challenges, some of which were rarely discussed openly before. To their credit, we are no longer fed a homogenized version of motherhood and life from the mass media or celebrity perspective. Instead we enjoy unfiltered, unapologetic and, above all, sincere experiences from a variety of women living in real time.

These women are also highly coveted by businesses because of their influence, but they are often misunderstood for the reasons that they blog and the connections that they create.

MomsWhoBlog.com strives to be your ultimate source of news and knowledge about mothers
active in social media. Please take a look and choose your preferred way to follow the stories.

Long Held Beliefs

2009-03-31T21:03:00.000-04:00

Successful and happy people tend to live their lives in a deliberate manner. They have goals and live according to a set principles they believe in. These principles are developed from the teachings by family members and mentors, and through personal observations, experiences and education.

Since we live in a complex society, goals and principles can be very helpful in decision-making and making sense of the world around us. Without goals and beliefs, it can be easy to drift through life and pulled or pushed by extraneous circumstances. But beliefs can also misguide us. Look at racism, extreme religious fanaticism, and other problems of the world where beliefs hurt other people.

Just like society, the business world (inherently a large part of society) is extremely complex as well. Successful and happy businesspeople tend to manage their businesses and careers in a deliberate manner too. Again, with goals and principles. This helps them make sense of their world, and go forward – sometimes misguided.

Andrea Learned offers a perspective in a recent marketing paper that many marketers are misguided in their beliefs about gender. In fact, she says that we should not be marketing to one's gender at all. To quote her, “too many marketers are taking the lazy way out and polarizing male and female consumers.”

Are many marketers' beliefs about men and women misguided? Read the Andrea's “Beware the Gender Trap: Marketing to the 21st Century Gender Neutral Consumer” if you want to challenge some of your beliefs.

Today's Digital Mom

2009-03-09T11:29:00.002-04:00

This week the Today Show is running a segment they are calling “Today's Digital Mom.” This first piece is sort of social networking and blogging 101, and how it is meaningful for a mother. Appearances by Laura Fortner of CafeMom.com and Heather Armstrong of Dooce.

Respect: A Success Indicator

2009-02-27T14:41:00.000-05:00

Watching people interact with each other can be entertaining and fascinating to observe. Given the numerous factors of role, relationship, situation and many other variables at play, they often lead to interesting and unexpected conversations. Some of my favorites are observing elderly married couples treating each with the utmost kindness and respect. Another, well mannered children talking where there are questions, answers, discovery and understanding. Truly warms my heart.

Conversely, for a long time now, I've been disappointed in the way most people talk AT (operative) people working in retail environments. All too often it seems that the customer could be talking to a kiosk, rather than another person. They have no respect for the person trying to serve them. The excuses for this behavior are plentiful, but I do not accept any of them. The most popular is blaming the level of customer service these days. Again, not accepting it. I've never worked in retail, so I personally can't describe the experience, but I imagine it to be tiring and demoralizing.

I can identify with, and have experience in, the way businesspeople interact with each other. Similar to the way retail people are treated, I've seen (as I'm sure you have as well) patience, disrespect, stubbornness, kindness, anger, etc. Name that emotion, and if you've spent any time in the business world, you've likely witnessed it. Respect of others I believe to be the most important trait in business as it is so fundamental. Without it, I don't believe effective collaboration and dialog are possible. Certainly, there are many jobs out there where this is not necessary, but how about marketing? Can you be a effective marketer today if you go about being disrespectful others? Can you anticipate customer needs if you fundamentally don't respect others? Can you communicate with them? Can you design a quality marketing experience without respect? Maybe in days of yesterday when marketing was a one-way medium, it was possible, but today it is much more like to a two-way dialog. Without inherent respect for others, you cannot be a successful marketing professional. When choosing marketing partners, it might be wise to go to lunch together before making a decision to work together, and observe how they treat the wait staff. You might just get a glimpse into the potential success of your future marketing programs.

Mom 2.0 Summit Redux

2009-02-26T14:45:00.002-05:00

I wasn't able to attend the recent Mom 2.0 Summit in Houston, but felt almost like I did since I followed the prolific number of tweets (twitter posts) during the two-day conference, and the subsequent blog posts. Even though now it's a thing of the past, you too can catch up with the event through these links.

Twitter tweets

Flickr photos

Blog posts

Your Social Media Strategy

2009-02-06T14:40:00.000-05:00

In today's business environment, many marketers (us included) are being asked to do more with less. One way is by attempting to harness the power of word-of-mouth and find social media glory. Social media works best for businesses when it is approached as a strategy with the objective to become involved in conversations relevant to your their business and industry. There are objectives, measurable goals, a budget, resources, a team of people with responsibilities, and a plan. A simple business 101 statement I know, but how does your social media effort stack up?

Moms' Lifestream Feed

2009-02-02T10:43:00.002-05:00

An important ingredient of successful online marketing today is being
where your customers are, instead of requiring them to come to you
(e.g. corp. web site). Thus less emphasis is on getting web
site visitors and more on communication, service and content
distribution. With that basic strategy in mind, lucid
attempts to satisfy marketers needs and interest in information 'all
things marketing to moms.' This email newsletter is one way.
As a subscriber, you receive a monthly summary of what's been happening
along with some of our thoughts. You can also subscribe to
our rss feed, daily email, twitter, facebook, or friendfeed
account. Whatever suits your preference for taking it in. We
hope you find value and benefit. To expand the service, we now offer
ability to follow what many moms are discussing online right now with
Moms' Lifestream Feed. The content comes from their twitter tweets, blog posts, flickr
updates, facebook feeds, and others. It's a great way to get
your 'feet on the street' of social media and motherhood, the same way
we do. Subscribe to this RSS feed. (If you don't yet have an RSS
reader, try Google Reader)

Fewer Predictions

2009-01-29T10:39:00.000-05:00

Over the last month and first month of a year, never have I seen fewer published predictions for the year ahead. Is it that people have recognized that they hold little value? Are usually wrong? It's impossible to predict? Or is it with the current economic conditions, we are more interested today in taking control of our own futures, rather than predicting someone else's? I like that better. If we each grab hold and take control, tides will rise.

Top Marketing to Moms Books

2008-12-22T09:29:00.013-05:00

To become more effective in marketing and connecting with moms, previously we listed the top blogs, and now offer the top books on marketing to moms.

Much thanks for the suggestions from Andrea Learned (non-garden variety contributions), Yvonne DiVita, Barbara Jones, Ann Handley, Michele Miller & Tami Anderson.

Addicts Just Can't Say No to Promotions

2008-12-18T09:24:00.005-05:00

Marketing Promotions Ideal for Moms on Social Networks

Mothers addicted to online social networks rate the marketing of “Special Promotions” much more positively than moms who are not on social networks. They are more than twice (123%) as likely to give marketing promotions a positive rating. This is likely because, at times, it gives them something to share with their online network of friends.

It is an important insight for marketers to understand. Fifty-percent of the most active and important (when it comes to spreading word of mouth) mothers on social networks actually love or welcome promotions. Find these moms and communicate a relevant promotional message, and the likelihood for success increases dramatically.

Moms who indicate that they are 'addicted' to online social networks are also more likely to:
1.) Go online for amusement purposes
2.) Publish their own blog
3.) Share their comments on blogs
There is a clear and strong connection for moms between participation on blogs and online social networks.

Survey data was gathered from 457 U.S. women with children of various ages randomly recruited on the internet between August 12 and September 12, 2008. As an incentive, $5 for every 10 people who completed the survey was donated by lucid marketing to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

The free report, "Social Media & Moms, ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS Edition" can be downloaded at www.lucidmarketing.com

Motrin, Thank the Mommy Bloggers

2008-12-01T09:25:00.000-05:00

It has been interesting to watch the debate and analysis of the Motrin Mommy Blogger event. I was lucky enough to watch from it's formative stages and develop a simple opinion that I have not seen voiced. Whether Motrin deserved the criticism or not, is not the point. Motrin should be thanking the mom bloggers. Yes, 'thank you or paying attention and providing your feedback'.

Motrin had a well-intended concept, but execution was poor and understandably can be found offensive by mothers. Mom-bloggers told them so in no uncertain terms. The difference here, from what has happened to offensive marketing messages in the past, is that the event was public, was collaborated upon, and spread rapidly. Motrin was embarrassed and retreated rapidly.

Back to my point about 'thanking' the mom-bloggers. Motrin responded by pulling the ads and canceling several planned media expenditures which could have potentially offended hundreds of thousands of more mothers! This could have been much worse and in a world without twitter and blogs, they would have never known. A large amount of budget and brand value was saved.

Now Motrin is part of the social media conversation. They weren't before, and now have the opportunity for a do-over. I'll bet it goes much better next time. Surely, they have learned a great deal, as we all have. Thank you mom-bloggers.

Cafemom Serving-up an Addictive Brew

2008-11-24T11:10:00.000-05:00

Strong Affinity for the Network

There are more similarities between mothers on MySpace, Facebook, and Cafemom, than there are differences. They go online to do many of the same things and most feel that their profile is an extension of who they are.

But there appears to be one big difference, CafeMom moms have a much stronger affinity for their network, than the others. It seems that they greatly value the connections, support and shared experiences with the other moms they meet there. Kevin Burke, founder of lucid marketing says, “The strong affinity for Cafemom is likely due to the strength of the connections made with other moms they meet there, and not necessarily the features of, or the Cafemom brand itself. They've done a great job of building a community of moms to find other like-minded moms.”

The overall sentiment on the major social networks can be summed up by this mom, “[On CafeMom], I can talk to hundreds of other women, at any moment, day or night. We all have something in common...motherhood. Facebook is an awesome way to stay connected to friends and relatives near and far. LOVE IT!”

Findings based on survey data gathered from 457 U.S. women with children of various ages randomly recruited on the internet between August 12 and September 12, 2008. As an incentive, $5 for every 10 people who completed the survey was donated by lucid marketing to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

A free report, "Social Media & Moms, ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS Edition" can be downloaded at www.lucidmarketing.com

Email Marketing in Decline and the Opportunity

2008-10-31T10:26:00.001-04:00

The art of email marketing seems to be in decline. I've seen fewer creative email campaigns and less compelling reasons for someone to hand over their email address. Seems like most web sites are still offering just their newsletter and special promotions, as reasons to subscribe. Not all that exciting when the internet offers so many choices.

Businesses see the benefits of being able to communicate directly and inexpensively with consumers, but lacking a strategy to do so seems to be a consistent theme. Target, a retailer many moms rate very highly, makes the offer, “Sign up to receive special offers and promotions from Target.” To me, that seems more like an offer that Walmart would make. Target known for their style and design quality, all at affordable prices, should be making a play that is creative and more closely in line with their brand.

The email marketing decline is coupled with the fact that spam filters have improved so much over the past two years that getting only the messages one wants is much better. My point being, if a marketer has a strong email value proposition, today there is a higher likelihood of having their message read and acted on, because there is less consumer inbox clutter.

Now for the kicker. Moms are more receptive to email marketing when compared to all other online marketing tactics, and they are checking personal email throughout their day!

And mom bloggers, the influencers driving conversations and trends online, are checking their email all day long and more often relative to other moms.

The lesson here is obvious; opportunities exist for marketers to make strong connections with moms through email marketing, but fresh and creative approaches are required.

Bloggers Rule the Online World of Mothers

2008-10-23T10:47:00.000-04:00

Marketers Should Pay Attention

Mom bloggers are more active online, particularly with social networking, than the rest of their U.S. mothering peers. They are 71% more likely to indicate being addicted to a social network when compared to moms who know nothing about blogs.

The lead reason for them going online is to socialize with others, while for moms who pay no attention to blogs, it is to find information. Mom bloggers also pay more attention to what their friends say online about something than other moms do.

The attention that marketers are giving to online word of mouth and the importance of connecting with mom bloggers as influencers appears justified.

Mom bloggers are also more receptive to marketing communication, than other moms. Further enforcing the reasons for marketers to pay them attention. Not surprisingly, all moms rank banners as the least effective marketing method for engaging them. But, bloggers are the group most accepting of them, likely do to the fact that many earn money from these marketing tactics.

An opportunity exists for marketers to focus more effort in email marketing. Moms are more receptive to it when compared to other online marketing tactics, and they are checking personal email throughout their day.

Survey data was gathered from 457 U.S. women with children of various ages randomly recruited on the internet between August 12 and September 12, 2008. As an incentive, $5 for every 10 people who completed the survey was donated by lucid marketing to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

The report, "Social Media & Moms, BLOGGER Edition" can be downloaded for free at www.lucidmarketing.com

Top 15 Blogs on Marketing to Moms

2008-10-01T14:28:00.000-04:00

As the U.S. economy continues to falter, businesses look for ways to do more with less. Many recognize that women are their core customers and the ones who drive positive word of mouth about their brand. Connecting with women has never been more important. The list of blogs included here preach and teach, how to grow your business through marketing to women. Subscribe to those feeds to quickly become an expert and growth leader in your company.